Looking back to 2008, Heather Maddox of Windermere Real Estate / PSR Inc. Renton recalls: “Every client from my first two years has since bought and sold more homes with me. I laid the foundation of my business then, creating raving fans who would continue to share my name, and come back to me themselves.” 

After growing up in Renton, Heather attended Western Washington University (WWU) in Bellingham, graduating with her BA in Law and Justice. Seeking an adventure led to a poker bet - and as a result, she and her best friend moved to Chicago, where she continued her studies at John Marshall Law School and worked at Perkins Coie LLP.  Through friends visiting from Kirkland, Heather met her future husband: “we immediately hit it off and dated long distance,” she explains, “and after about a year I realized that I was more interested in this guy than I was in law school - and so I moved back home to be closer to him and my family.”

Back in Renton at 25, Heather found her opportunity in real estate. “I got a job with Bryan Loveless, who was then (as now) a top producing agent.  I helped and shadowed him, getting a paid education in a business I found interesting, fun, and fast-paced,” she continues.  Realizing that Heather was developing a desire to be her own agent, Brian mentored her, empowering her to take on her own clients and build her contacts. “He eventually kicked me out, telling me - it's time, you are ready to be on your own, you are going to be great, and you don't need me. But I was terrified,” she remembers. 

So, in March 2008 Heather went out on her own. That July, she married, and she and her husband bought a second home, turning their first into a rental property - and then the recession hit. Her first years in the business taught Heather lessons critical to how she still runs her business today: “my husband was in banking, also hit by the recession. We ran a super strict budget to pay our bills. Anything else got set aside for the next month, and we lived off what we truly needed.”  A further lesson was how to adapt to the market. “The recession was an opportunity to buy at a reduced price, so I started talking to everybody I could find that wasn't already a homeowner, explaining why this was a wonderful time to buy,” Heather says, “and I explained their leverage, including getting their closing costs covered. I had two decent years in 2008 and 2009 primarily with first time buyers. That experience laid the foundation for a business with longevity, pivoting as market conditions change over time.”  This was Heather’s springboard and taught her to adapt to the conditions and challenges of the market. She continues to do a lot of business in this segment. “Even in 2023 when interest rates were high, I had 21 first time buyers,” she says, “and despite the record high interest rates, it was still a fantastic time to take advantage of the shifting market.” 

Today her business is diversified, 50/50 between buyers and sellers. “My focus is the people. My price range is wide,” she explains, “and I can list properties for $275,000 or $2,000,000+ in the same week. Everybody gets the same service, staging, photos and, above all, excitement. It's all about my clients. I want them to be happy with their purchase, never to feel they were rushed into something, and always to know they have made a worthwhile investment with a house earning money all the time." It can be no surprise that 95% of Heather’s business comes from referrals. She has always operated as a solo agent and is now supported by two assistants. Last year, however, continuing to sell 50 to 55 homes a year, she brought in another agent, Brandi, to join her. Similarly to how she entered the profession, Heather is encouraging Brandi to build her own business over time.

With a husband in an equally demanding job at Amazon, Heather emphasizes how the couple pulls together to parent their three kids who are aged five, nine, and 12 – as well as running their household. The couple are mutually respectful of the other's career and support each other with the help of a full-time nanny, as well as family, especially grandparents. The demands of real estate are a reality that Heather shares with other agents. “A lot of people get into real estate thinking it's a flexible career,” she says, “but I would say the opposite. It's only easy and flexible until you're selling enough homes to make a living. I've always had childcare and worked regular business hours. You will find me in the office from 8:30 to 5:30, Monday through Friday unless I am client facing. My kids have never known anything different, and they are proud to have a successful working mom.” 

Sports are an important aspect of family life. “My oldest daughter is on the ski team at Alpental. My middle daughter also skis and is on every sports team she can find - soccer, softball, and basketball. My five-year-old just started playing T-ball. I coach the girls’ softball team,” Heather enthuses, “we work hard to support our kids in whatever they are passionate about. We can't make it to everything, but we do our best.” 

Heather’s definition of success is spending time with her family, and doing the things she loves (one of which might be surprising - playing poker where she revels in the strategy of the game). Recently she discovered a new kind of joy and passion in educating other agents. “I am speaking to a group at Bellevue College for kids interested in real estate. I love my job. We help people with their most significant asset, and the biggest purchase or sale of their life,” she concludes, “but we have a reputation of being an unprofessional industry and I want to see that change. Perhaps this younger generation can take this in a different direction.”